UPDATE: HARRIS COUNTY JURY FINDS FOR TAXPAYER UNDER EQUAL AND UNIFORM STATUTE, REDUCES APPRAISED VALUE TO $0 ON UNDERGROUND HYDROCARBON STORAGE CAPACITY, AWARDS ATTORNEY’S FEES

By Natalie A. Maloney | March 22, 2024

Enterprise GC LLC v. Harris County Appraisal District, Cause No. 2019-73818 (151st Judicial District Court, Harris County, Texas, filed October 8, 2019).

On March 14, 2024, a Harris County jury found underground hydrocarbon storage capacity within the Pierce Junction Salt Dome, leased by Enterprise GC LLC, had an appraised value of $0 for tax years 2019, 2020, and 2021.  The appraised value was increased from $0 in 2018 to over $43 million in 2019, over $51 million in 2020, and over $48 million in 2021.  Relying on the equal and uniform statute, Section 42.26 of the Texas Property Tax Code, the jury found the property was unequally appraised.  For each tax year at issue, the value exceeded the median appraised value of a reasonable number of comparable properties appropriately adjusted. Attorney’s fees were awarded under Section 42.29 of the Code. The jury’s verdict vindicates the rights of Texas taxpayers under the equal and uniform provisions of the Texas Property Tax Code, which implements the Texas Constitution’s mandate that property taxation shall be equal and uniform.  An in-person hearing for entry of judgment is set for April 22, 2024, in the trial court.